Recently, the Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a final rule for size standards affecting the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Sector 54, the professional, scientific and technical services industries, including architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, planning, and a host of other professions. ASLA is pleased to announce that SBA will maintain the $7 million threshold to be considered a small landscape architecture firm for purposes of federal procurement opportunities, as recommended by the Society.

In March 2011, SBA issued a proposed rule that recommended increasing the threshold to $19 million to be considered a small landscape architecture firm. ASLA argued that the $19 million threshold was significantly high and did not accurately reflect the current state of annual receipts in the landscape architecture profession. Instead, ASLA, along with many member firms, recommended that SBA maintain the current cap of $7 million dollars because it more appropriately represents annual revenue for the profession.

The final rule increases the size standard for architecture services to $7 million and $14 million for engineering services. The rule is effective March 2012. Click here to view the entire final rule.